Spina bifida: Introduction

Spina bifida: A birth defect where the spinal vertebrae do not completely enclose the spinal cord often resulting in various degrees of nerve damage.
More detailed information about the symptoms,
causes, and treatments of Spina bifida is available below.

Misdiagnosis and Spina bifida

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Spina bifida: Animations

Prognosis for Spina bifida

Prognosis for Spina bifida:
The
prognosis for individuals with SB depends on the number and severity of
abnormalities. Prognosis is poorest for those with complete paralysis,
hydrocephalus, and other congenital defects. With proper care, most
children with SB live well into adulthood.
(Source: excerpt from NINDS Spina Bifida Information Page: NINDS)

Article Excerpts about Spina bifida

NINDS Spina Bifida Information Page: NINDS (Excerpt)

Spina bifida
(SB) is a neural tube defect (a disorder involving incomplete development
of the brain, spinal cord, and/or their protective coverings) caused by
the failure of the fetus's spine to close properly during the first month
of pregnancy. Infants born with SB sometimes have an open lesion on their
spine where significant damage to the nerves and spinal cord has occurred.
(Source: excerpt from NINDS Spina Bifida Information Page: NINDS)

Folic Acid: NWHIC (Excerpt)

Spina bifida
is a defect of the spinal column that occurs during the first 28 days of
pregnancy. It can lead to serious disabilities, such as deformities in the
knees or feet, paralysis in the feet and legs, incontinence, learning
disabilities, and mental retardation. (Source: excerpt from Folic Acid: NWHIC)

Definitions of Spina bifida:

Congenital defects of closure of one or more vertebral arches, which may be associated with malformations of the spinal cord, nerve roots, congenital fibrous bands, lipomas, and congenital cysts. These malformations range from mild (e.g., SPINA BIFIDA OCCULTA) to severe, including rachischisis where there is complete failure of neural tube and spinal cord fusion, resulting in exposure of the spinal cord at the surface. Spinal dysraphism includes all forms of spina bifida. The open form is called SPINA BIFIDA CYSTICA and the closed form is SPINA BIFIDA OCCULTA. (From Joynt, Clinical Neurology, 1992, Ch55, p34)
- (Source - Diseases Database)

A not uncommon congenital defect in which a vertebra is malformed; unless several vertebrae are affected or there is myelomeningocele there are few symptoms; can be diagnosed by amniocentesis
- (Source - WordNet 2.1)

Spina bifida is listed as a "rare disease" by the Office of
Rare Diseases (ORD) of the National Institutes of Health
(NIH). This means that Spina bifida, or a subtype of Spina bifida,
affects less than 200,000 people in the US population.
Source - National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Ophanet, a consortium of European partners,
currently defines a condition rare when it affects 1 person per 2,000.
They list Spina bifida as a "rare disease".
Source - Orphanet

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